Phuket Airport taxi driver faces inquest for drunk nap behind the wheel

[GordonP]

Taking a nap, even if drunk, is probably not illegal, but for the police to let the driver drive away while "smelling of alcohol" is a serious breach of duty. I rather see the policeman called in for questioning than the taxi driver.

Where I come from it is illegal if you still have the keys. When very much younger and sleeping in the car at the beach after surfing parties we used to bury our keys in the nearby sand dunes to avoid the issue. At dawn in the land of the keyless the guy with the metal detector is king!

[spidermike007]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

He was completely wasted. Did you not see the part about him being drunk? What makes you think driving drunk is not dangerous? In any civilized country his car would be impounded, he would have to spend 300,000 baht or more for lawyers, his license would be suspended, and he would face a lot of grief. Here, a 500 baht fine, and he walks away. Or crawls in his case.

[stevenl]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

He was completely wasted. Did you not see the part about him being drunk? What makes you think driving drunk is not dangerous? In any civilized country his car would be impounded, he would have to spend 300,000 baht or more for lawyers, his license would be suspended, and he would face a lot of grief. Here, a 500 baht fine, and he walks away. Or crawls in his case.

Of course first there would have to be proof he was drunk. All there is here is the rescue worker saying 'he smelled of alcohol'.

[Thaiready]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

and where you come from , is it allow to drive while drunk ?

One mouthful of beer will make you smell like alcohol, who has evidence he was drunk or over the limit allowed by law?, he was cognizant enough to drive off!

This is not a story, it looks like spam with a picture.

its called DUI....you feel the need to make excuses for these idiots....

[BudRight]

It would be newsworthy if he had a driving license.

[Windy]

Police at the scene and he just drove off. Wish it was always that easy.

Where does it say police were at the scene

Another newbie TV wantabe

Edited April 8, 2014 by Windy

[gbswales]

Police at the scene and he just drove off. Wish it was always that easy.

Probably cost him the day's takings! More likely it was 5 minutes to wake him up and 25 minutes negotiating the "on the spot fine".

[stevenl]

Police at the scene and he just drove off. Wish it was always that easy.

Probably cost him the day's takings! More likely it was 5 minutes to wake him up and 25 minutes negotiating the "on the spot fine".

Very good idea, don't bother to read the OP, just comment something.

[Naroge]

Taking a nap, even if drunk, is probably not illegal, but for the police to let the driver drive away while "smelling of alcohol" is a serious breach of duty. I rather see the policeman called in for questioning than the taxi driver.

We don't know if the policeman let him drive off, or the driver just drove away. In that case the driver should be charged with fleeing the scene of a potential crime offence. Just another 500 baht fine

The correct action of the police (or any repsonsible citizen) if you find a driver "smelling of alcohol" in his car is to confiscate the keys until you have found out the alcohol level of the driver. It should probably be covered somewhere in the instructions of the police man's duties, but can also be covered under "common sense".

[FiestyFarang]

Word has it that police are responding to the incident by checking the passports and work permits of all foreigners living in Phuket.

I wish Police would stop cars like they stop motorbikes for licenses.

Edited April 8, 2014 by FiestyFarang

[Naroge]

Taking a nap, even if drunk, is probably not illegal, but for the police to let the driver drive away while "smelling of alcohol" is a serious breach of duty. I rather see the policeman called in for questioning than the taxi driver.

Where I come from it is illegal if you still have the keys. When very much younger and sleeping in the car at the beach after surfing parties we used to bury our keys in the nearby sand dunes to avoid the issue. At dawn in the land of the keyless the guy with the metal detector is king!

That's what I would call a proactive legal system. Great.

[BigC]

Police at the scene and he just drove off. Wish it was always that easy.

Did he have to drive himself to the police station

[LivinginKata]

Police at the scene and he just drove off. Wish it was always that easy.

Where does it say police were at the scene

Another newbie TV wantabe

Read the news article ...

"The news follows Thalang Police being called to Baan Lipon, between Thalang Town and the Heroines Monument, at 5:30am to find a registered taxi pulled over in the left hand lane and the driver fast asleep."

[Carrerakiss]

I arrived at Phuket airport a few days ago. the friend who was picking me up was a little late, so to save him driving into the airport compound amongst the crazy traffic in there, I walked out through the main gates to the right (as you exit) and waited for him on the pavement. There was a fairly steady stream of taxis and minibuses stopping for a while and the driving inside.

One taxi driver, stopped, got out, walked around the front of the vehicle, a little unsteadily I may add, but not lurching or anything, drained a can of beer, smoked a cigarette and then got back in and drove into the airport, presumably to pick up a fare.

Maybe it was his one and only can, but I was glad he wasn't picking me up.

I'd say its endemic that some, not all, taxi drivers drink off and on through out the day. And nothing will ever change.

In the case of the OP, so what if the guy has to go to "explain". Does anyone think that he won't have a suitable explanation when he finally turns up? No, I didn't think so.

[wvavin]

Don't waste time. There is no case at all because his "boss" had paid them already.

[sydneyjed]

Whats safer...a fast asleep drunken taxi driver in Phuket or a pi...ed upBangkok tuk tuk driver high on yabba driving around sukhumvit every night?

[8OA8]

I think thebig issue was the parking in the lane reserved for vehicles to travel against the traffic. Remember as long as you have your hazzard lights flashing regardless of alcohol consumed the person driving in the correct direction will be at fault. Well it certainly looks that way here.

[8OA8]

No case as no proof. Driver can just say he was very tired and was having a rest.

maybe in Thailand but in Australia if he was found by the police in this state in a cab he would lose his taxi licence as he would be deemed unfit. Probably keep his driver licence but would definitely be considered a risk to the public.

That is of course assuming that the guy asleep in the driver seat was the owner.

Last night I did something I'd never done before and took a bus home, now that I've sobered up I cannot remember where i found it but it had the keys in the ignition, wonder who owns it and will they be annoyed that I took it home with me last night.

[sirchai]

I don't really understand what they don't understand. -

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

The Gazette has yet to establish whether any police officers who were at the scene will be pursuing charges against the driver as they can no longer establish his blood-alcohol concentration at the time he was in control of the vehicle.

Wow, the driver got lucky this time as this could have ended bad if the police had pressed charges...he could have got a 1 day suspension plus a 500 baht fine.

Might have been transferred to an inactive post as well....so lucky.

[Rorri]

8OA8, on 08 Apr 2014 - 22:32, said:

Kooweerup, on 08 Apr 2014 - 11:35, said:

LivinginKata, on 08 Apr 2014 - 07:53, said:

No case as no proof. Driver can just say he was very tired and was having a rest.

maybe in Thailand but in Australia if he was found by the police in this state in a cab he would lose his taxi licence as he would be deemed unfit. Probably keep his driver licence but would definitely be considered a risk to the public.

That is of course assuming that the guy asleep in the driver seat was the owner.

Last night I did something I'd never done before and took a bus home, now that I've sobered up I cannot remember where i found it but it had the keys in the ignition, wonder who owns it and will they be annoyed that I took it home with me last night.

In the "Great" land down under, a taxis drive has a licence to drive a taxi, it is an addition to you drivers licence, the taxi has taxi "registration/licence" plates.

[kimamey]

Is this a no parking zone?

Apart from being rude, what is wrong with taking a nap by the side of the road?

Where I come from you are encouraged to pull over and rest if you feel unfit to drive but when you do so police usually harass you.

He smelt of alcohol so probably was drunk and shouldn't have been driving.